Locomotive sanding device.



No. 732,076. PATBNTED JUNE 30,1903,

J. O IHNMEEIZBLx I LOOOMOTIVE SANDING; DEVICE.

' APPLICATION FILED 13-30.,17', 1902.

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No. 732,076. PATENTED JUNE 30, 1903.

J. G. HOOPBR. LOGOMOTIVB SANDING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 17, 1902. N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-$113111 Z.

WITNESSES UNITED STATES Patented June 1903.

JOHN CAMPER HOOPER, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO ECONOMY LOCOMOTIVE SANDER COMPANY, OF MARYLAND, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

BALTIMORE,

LOCOMOTIVE SANDING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 732,076, dated June 30, 1903. Application filed December 17, 1902. Serial No. 135,470. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN CAMPER HOOPER,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Baltimore, State of Maryland,

have invented certain new and useful 1m My invention relates to sanding devices for locomotive-engines, and is designed to provide a track-sanding device adapted to be supported on the side of the engine and outside the sand-dome thereof, to which it is connected by suitable connecting and supply pipes. 1

My invented device has for its object toprevent a packing or clogging with sand of the sand-holding chambers of the device, to increase the facility in reaching the interior passages and parts for cleaning and repair, to prevent the fluid-pressure from creating a back pressure on the sand in the receiving and delivery passages, and, finally, to equalize the air-pressure and sand-discharge in a multiple device of this character. 7

To these ends my invention consists in th construction of certain of the detail elements and also in the combination and arrangement of parts to efi'ect the objects and purposes recited, as hereinafter fully described.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure 1 is a vertical section, and Fig. 2 a plan view, of a single sander exemplifying one form of apparatus embodying my invention. Figs. 3 and 4 are like views of a double sander, and Figs. 5 and 6 like views of a triple sander constructed on the principle of my invention.

In the drawings, which illustrate three different forms of my invention, a casing A is provided, in which an inclined sand-inlet B, an air-pressure passage G, and a sand-delivery chamber D are all contained. It is essential that the two latter shall be horizontally arranged and in alinement and equally essential that the sand-inlet passage B shall be vertically inclined and shall open into the sand-chamber D at that end of it which is contiguous to the inner end of the air-pressure passage 0. A blast-nozzle E is screwed into. the'casingin such manner that its airpassage forms a continuation of the air-pressure passage O of the casing. The casing A at the sand-discharge end of the apparatus is screw-threaded to receive a coupling-pin F to provide connectionwith the usual tubes leading the sand around the engine-wheels to the track. At the base or under face of the casing and at a point almost directly below the lower end of the inclined sand-inlet B a hand-hole A is formed in the casing A, closed by a screw-nut A An adjustable sleeve G, adapted to besnpported in and normally extend slightly above the inclined sand-passage B, is secured at any desired point of adjustment therein by means such as the adjusting screw-pin g.

The remaining element of my improved device, which operates to connect the casing A and its described parts with the sand-dome tubes and to perform the other functions hereinafter stated, is the most important feature. It consists of a hood H, which is detachable from the casing A and is normally held in place thereon by means such as screw-bolts h it. Its hollow interior at its inlet end has a vertical passage-waytk, curved inwardly toward its base, so as to form an aunularopening m, about half the diameter of the opposite opening n, and preferably corresponding in'diameter with the largest diameter of the sand-delivery chamber D. This vertical passage-way is formed as an inwardly-curved annular wall by casting on it an inwardly-extendingannular projecting wall m, so that the lower annular wall 15 of the hood will not be thicker than its upper wall and -will inclose or form a chamber R, the large base of which is the top of the casing A and the top of which is closed except at the restricted annular opening m in the inwardly-curved annular wall m of vertical inletpassage lo.

The result of thislast-described construction and arrangement of parts is, first, to retard the flow of sand through this initial inlet-passage Yc (through which it descends by gravity only;) second, to form a secondary inlet or chamber R with a restricted opening at top,

- the end thereof.

the inwardly projecting annular wall of which checks the backflow of sand caused by back pressure of air, and, third, said chamber R will operate more orless as a vacuumchamber, due to the suction created in the dischargepassage when the blast is applied.

In the modification of the device shown in Figs. 3 and 4 to constitute a double sander the casing A and its several parts, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is merely duplicated in one integral structure, with the discharge ends facing outward and the air-nozzle E inserted through the side of the casing instead of at The hood, however,remains precisely the same as in Fig. l. remarks are true of the triple sander shown in Figs. 5 and 6,with this addition, that the double casing A of Fig. 3 has cast upon its side a casing A ,like that of the single sander of Fig. 1, and the hood is provided with a single inlet-passage and chamber leading to the two integral casings A, placed in alinement,

- and also the third or triple casing A on the side of the same. In the case of the triple sander the adjusting-sleeve G in each of the casings in alinement is raised slightly into the chamber B, so as to slightly retard the downflow ofsand and equalize the discharge with that from the triple or third casing, in which the sleeve G is adjusted, as shown in Fig. 1.

The operation of the device is as follows:

Sand passes by gravity from the sand-dome of the engine to the initial inlet of the sander, and thence by the passages described to the discharge-chamber, from which it is blown by the air-blast through suitable connecting-pipes to the track. Frequently on a shutting off of pressure a back pressure, probably caused by a suddenly-formed partial vacuum in the interior of this class of devices, will cause a backfiow of sand, and this The same a hood for said casing having an initial inlet sand-passage with a restricted basal opening and a sand-receivin g chamber below the same; substantially as described.

2. In a sanding device the combination with a casing comprising a vertically-inclined sand-passage, an adjustable sleeve therein,

i a communicating horizontally-disposed sanddischarge chamber, and an air-blast nozzle discharging into said chamber, of a hood for said casing having an initial inlet sand-passage witha restricted basal opening and a sand-receiving chamber below the same; substantially as described.

3. In a sanding device comprising a sanddischarge chamber, an air-blast passage in the rear of and in alinement therewith, and a sand-delivery passage opening into said discharge-chamber, the combination with,

and arrangement above said sand-delivery passage, of a hollow hood the interior walls of which form a sand-receiving chamber with-a superposed tubular inlet-passage,'said hood having interiorly an inwardly-projecting. annular wall between the basal opening of'the inlet-passage and the top of the sand-receiving chamber; substantially as described.

4:. In a sanding device the combination with a casing having sand receiving and-discharging chambers and an air-blast passage, as set forth, of a removable hood therefor containing a tubular sand-passage thedischarge end of which is of smaller area than its inlet; substantially as described.

5. A sanding device composed of a hollow removable hood the interior walls of which form an initial tubular inlet-passage with a restricted basal opening formed by asupplementalinwardly-projecting annular Wall,and

a sand-receiving chamber below the same, in combination with a casing having, a plurality of vertically inclined sand passages each opening directly into a horizontally-disposed sand-discharge chamber, and an air-blast passage at the inner end of each of the latter and in alinement therewith; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature this 4th day of December, A. D. 1902.

JOHN CAMPER HOOPER. Witnesses:

JOHN S. BRIDGES, MILLARD LEONARD. 

